How You Get The Girl
by movingstaircase
Summary: He left her. He broke her heart. Six months on, Hermione gets an unexpected knock at the door and Draco finds out that forgiveness isn't all that easy. Rated T for swearing. One-shot.


Hello! So I've not been on here for 3 years, I think. The last time I wrote anything I was 17, I'm now 20. So yeah, I might be a little rusty, but give me a chance. This is a song fic based on How You Get The Girl by Taylor Swift. First ever song fic. First story in 3 years. Seriously, I couldn't even remember my password to the website. Let me know what you think! Hope you like!

I own nothing.

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><p><em>You stand there like a ghost shaking from the rain<em>

_She'll open up the door up and say are you insane_

_Say it's been a long six months_

_And you were too afraid to tell her what you want_

The knock at the door was what roused Hermione from her slumber. She must have fallen asleep watching her favourite program. She always did work herself too hard as the weekend approached. Squinting against the brightness of her reading lamp and the television, she looked at her watch and furrowed her brows. She certainly wasn't expecting visitors at nine-thirty on a Friday evening.

Again, Hermione heard the hurried rat-a-tat-tat on her front door. Flicking the switch to turn off her television, she grabbed her wand and quickly slipped it into her dressing gown pocket. She warily made her way down the hall towards the unexpected visitor, peeking out of the window as she did so.

It was a miserable winters night, dark and cold and pouring with rain. Her reflection in the darkened window didn't look much better. Her hair was sticking out every which way, like she'd stuck her finger into a plug socket after a shower. She could see the black rings under her eyes due to her lack of sleep the night before and she just looked the picture in her fluffy penguin pyjamas and teddy bear slippers. She hesitated, taking a second look at herself, and almost decided against answering the door. However, whoever was on the other side seemed remarkably insistent as the knocking began once again.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming! Merlin..." Hermione muttered.

She took the chain off the latch, swung open the door and felt her heart stop. She had not seen the man stood before her in almost six months, and after their parting conversation, she had not expected to ever see him again. He looked no different from the last time she had seen him, except that he was dripping wet through, his blonde hair plastered to his forehead and she could make out that he was shivering from the cold winter air.

"Long time, no see, eh Granger?" He smirked.

"Draco," Hermione nodded. "And just what, may I ask, do you think you are doing on my doorstep?"

"I came to make it up to you." He replied nonchalantly.

"Make it up to me? Are you insane? It's been six months, Draco! We broke up, you left, we haven't spoken since."

"Six months is a long time to think things through."

"What was there to possibly think about? You made it perfectly clear that I wasn't what you wanted. I came to terms with that, I accepted it and I moved on. And you are supposed to on the other side of the country. What in Merlin's name are you doing back here?"

"You were always what I wanted Granger. I just needed time to figure things out. It kills me to admit it, but I was afraid. Hell, I couldn't even admit it to myself, let alone to you, let alone the rest of the world."

"I don't know what to say."

"That's a first." Draco chuckled. "Never thought I could leave you speechless."

"This isn't funny! You can't just turn up unannounced and drop this on me and expect me to fall at your feet, Draco! You broke my heart!"

"Look, I'm sorry. You know I'm shit at apologies. You know I'm shit at relationships and feelings and all that Gryffindor crap. I made a mistake, Granger. But, I'm back now, and I am trying to fix it. So, will you please let me because frankly, you're all I've thought about for six months and don't pretend you don't feel the same because I can read you like a first year book."

Hermione folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're so sure I still have feeling for you?"

"There's one way to find out."

"Well then, I suppose you'd better come in." She sighed, stepping aside and gesturing for him to enter her home.

_Remind her how it used to be_

_With pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks_

_Tell her how you must have lost your mind_

_When you left her all alone and never told her why_

_And that's how it works_

_That's how you lost the girl_

Draco stepped inside and closed the door behind him, wiping his feet on her 'welcome' mat. Right now, she wasn't entirely sure if _he_ was welcome. He shook off his coat and hung it on the coat stand by the front door and she popped into the kitchen to grab him a towel. He followed her. Of course he did.

"You had better make this damn good, Draco. Because I'm still debating on whether or not to toss your arse back out into the rain." She warned, throwing him the towel.

He quickly dried his hair and left the towel hanging over his shoulder, his eyes fixed on her.

"Forgive me." He tried.

"Why?"

"Because you still love me."

"Not good enough." She snorted.

"Because we used to be good me and you, Granger. We were amazing."

He grinned, that lopsided smile that she used to melt for. Not now. She couldn't let herself. He was right, of course. She hadn't moved on at all and he had been playing on her mind since the day he walked of her life for what she had thought was forever. There had never been anyone else, and she doubted there ever would be. But, she couldn't let him know that. He wouldn't get off that easily. He had left her, made her feel like nothing but the dirt on his shoe and no matter how much she still loved him, she resented him for that.

"Then why did you leave? We were fine, and then one day you just take off. You never even told me why. You know I loved you. You need to tell me why you did this to us, Draco." She pulled a seat out at the kitchen table. She sat and gestured for him to too.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"You _don't know_?" Hermione spat. "Please, Draco, give me some credit! So what? You were scared? You were a coward? You were confused? Maybe there was some other witch. Which one was it?"

"There was never another witch." He snapped, eyes searing. "You know that."

"Then _why_ did you leave me?" Hermione cried desperately.

"I don't know! I just lost it! Maybe you're right, maybe I am just a coward. Maybe I lost my mind. I must have to have left you. It was the biggest mistake of my life. But, I'm back now, I'm here. Surely you must understand what it takes for me to do this. I'm throwing my pride to the dogs for you here, Granger."

He let out a shaky breath and pinched the space between his eyebrows. He always did that when he was frustrated. She was glad he was frustrated.

"Your pride is the least of my concerns, Draco." She looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to say the right thing. "Give me a reason to forgive you."

Draco sighed and she watched as his eyes flickered around the room. They eventually fell on an empty photo frame on her windowsill, with dust gathered around the edges amongst her otherwise flawless kitchen.

"You threw away the picture?" He asked.

She saw the hurt in his eyes, but she refused to acknowledge it. She was hurting more.

"No." She replied. "I kept it. Somewhere safe."

"Then that must mean something."

"Maybe." She shrugged. "Or maybe I just find it hard to let go of things."

Draco swallowed and his eyes left the empty photo frame and landed back on her. He took a breath.

"Do you remember the day that that picture was taken?" He asked and she nodded. "I made you breakfast in bed and took you for ice cream in Diagon Alley because you were upset over your S.P.E.W campaign being rejected by the Ministry. And I told not to give up on it, because you believed in it and you fought for it like you were in a war. And eight weeks later, you reapplied and they accepted you. And you told me that you loved me. Do you remember that?"

"Of course I remember it." She whispered.

"What about when you taught me how to work the television? Or when we carved a pumpkin for Halloween the Muggle way, because that was what you wanted?"

"I remember."

She felt a tear slip down her cheek and she wiped at it angrily. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want to give in so easily.

"And then there was the time I met your parents and your dad couldn't pronounce my name."

Hermione giggled at the thought.

"And yet he named me Hermione."

"And what about the time you took me to Potter's birthday party? What about when we had our first argument and you locked yourself in the bathroom? It took me three hours to talk you out of there. And what about when we looked after your parent's dog for a week and it pissed all over the kitchen floor?"

Hermione laughed. "I remember you slipping on it. You were cursing all week because you got wee all over your work robes."

"All of those memories. Aren't they enough to forgive me?"

_And you know_

_That I don't want you to go_

_Remind me how it used to be_

_Pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks_

_And say you want me_

"Why did you have to leave, Draco?"

"I'm sorry."

"How can I know you won't do it again? How can I ever trust you again after this?"

"I'll show you. I'll prove to you. I'm never going to leave again. I love you, Granger. And I should have told you a long time ago."

Hermione couldn't stop the tears now and she hated herself for it. Damn emotions. Draco didn't seem to be doing much better however, and she found some comfort in the fact that he was hurting too.

"You know how I feel about you." Hermione sniffed. "You always have done. You know I don't want you to go."

"Then let me stay." He begged, taking hold of her hand on top of the table. "You have me, Granger. For as long as you'll have me. I'm not going anywhere. I won't make the same mistake twice. I'm not losing you again. I love you, Hermione."

"Promise me." She said. "Promise me that you won't break my heart again. Promise me that I won't have to take the picture out of the photo frame again. I don't want us to be a photograph in a draw, Draco. I want you here with me."

"I promise."

_And that's how it works_

_That's how you get the girl_

_And then you say_

_I want you for worse of for better_

_I would wait forever and ever_

_Broke your heart, I'll put it back together_

_I would wait forever and ever_

She sat on her sofa in her penguin pyjamas and her teddy bear slippers and her hair looking like she had stuck her finger in a plug socket after a shower. She flicked the switch on her television remote and put on her favourite program. And she felt his arms wrap around her and his lips brush against her forehead.

And for the first time in six months, Hermione felt complete.

_And that's how it works_

_That's how you got the girl_


End file.
